Can Felons Vote in South Carolina? Restoring Rights and Registering

Yes, people with felony convictions can vote in South Carolina once they finish their sentence. State law suspends voting rights only while a sentence is active, and that window includes any probation or parole that follows prison time. When the whole sentence is done, eligibility returns automatically, but you still have to submit a fresh voter registration application before you can cast a ballot.

When Your Right to Vote Comes Back

South Carolina Code Section 7-5-120 lists three disqualifications from registering or voting: being adjudicated mentally incompetent, being confined in prison on any criminal conviction, or having a felony or election-law conviction on your record without having completed the sentence or received a pardon.¹ Felonies and election-law offenses are treated the same way.

“Serving a sentence” is broader than prison time. It includes probation and parole.¹ If a judge sentenced you to three years in prison followed by two years of probation, you cannot register until both are finished.

The statute references “probation and parole time” but does not explicitly address fines, fees, or restitution. In practice, some county boards may treat outstanding court-ordered financial obligations as part of an incomplete sentence. Each of South Carolina’s 46 county boards sets its own policy on what documentation it requires, so the safest step is to call your local board and ask what you need to show before you try to register.²

Restoration is automatic. You do not need to petition a court or apply to a state agency. That said, automatic restoration only removes the disqualification. Getting on the voter rolls is a separate step.

A Pardon Restores Rights Sooner

The statute offers a second route: a pardon lifts the felony disqualification even if you have not finished your sentence.¹ Pardon applications go through the state Department of Probation, Parole and Pardon Services. Pardons are hard to obtain and involve a hearing, but if granted, they restore voting rights immediately no matter where you are in your sentence. This matters most for people on long probation or parole terms who want to vote sooner.

How to Register After Your Sentence Ends

Once your sentence is complete or you have been pardoned, the process is the same one any other resident uses. The application asks for your full legal name, sex, date of birth, Social Security number, residential address, mailing address, and telephone number. You sign under oath that you are a U.S. citizen, a South Carolina resident, and that any prior felony or election-law conviction has been resolved through sentence completion or a pardon. That oath carries perjury exposure, so be sure your sentence is genuinely finished before you apply.³

You have several ways to submit the application:

Online at scVOTES.gov, if you have a South Carolina driver’s license or DMV-issued ID card.⁴
By mail, using the form on scVOTES.gov, sent to your county board of voter registration and elections. If you do not have a SC driver’s license or DMV ID, you can provide the last four digits of your Social Security number instead.⁵
In person at your county elections office.
At an NVRA-covered agency such as the DMV, Department of Social Services, Department of Health and Human Services, or Department of Mental Health, when you visit for other services.⁶

Your county board may ask for documentation showing your sentence is complete. Some do, some do not, and the accepted documents vary. A letter from the Department of Corrections or your probation officer confirming your discharge date is typically what they want.²

You must be registered at least 30 days before an election to vote in it. Mailed applications must be postmarked by that 30-day mark. If the deadline lands on a Sunday or postal holiday, it moves to the next business day.⁶ Do not wait. If the county board needs time to verify that your sentence is complete, submitting early gives you room to fix any snag.

Photo ID at the Polls

Registration alone is not enough. South Carolina requires a current, valid photo ID when you vote in person. Accepted forms include:

South Carolina driver’s license (standard or REAL ID)
SC DMV-issued ID card, including concealed weapons permits
SC voter registration card with photo
Federal military ID or Veterans Affairs benefits card
U.S. passport or passport card

Forget your ID and you can vote a provisional ballot, then bring your ID to the county elections office before the election is certified (usually a few days after election day). If a reasonable impediment such as a disability, lack of transportation, or a missing birth certificate keeps you from getting any photo ID, you can bring your non-photo voter registration card, sign an affidavit explaining why, and cast a provisional ballot that counts unless someone proves the affidavit is false.⁷

Confirming Your Registration Went Through

After you apply, verify it processed. Use the “Check My Registration” tool at scVOTES.gov.⁸ You will need your first and last name, date of birth, and the last four digits of your Social Security number.⁹ An active record will show your details and your polling place. If you do not appear in the system two weeks after applying, call your county board. A paperwork problem is much easier to solve before election day than on it.

1
South Carolina Legislature. South Carolina Code Title 7 Chapter 5 Section 7-5-120 – Qualifications for Registration
2
NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund. South Carolina Felony Disenfranchisement Card
3
South Carolina Legislature. South Carolina Code Title 7 Chapter 5 Section 7-5-170 – Necessity for Written Application
4
South Carolina Election Commission. Online Voter Registration
5
South Carolina State Election Commission. Voter Registration Facts in South Carolina
6
South Carolina Election Commission. Register to Vote
7
South Carolina Election Commission. Photo ID Requirements
8
South Carolina Election Commission. Voters
9
South Carolina Election Commission. MySCVotes